• Home
  • Articles
    • Instrument Pedagogy
    • Concert Band
    • Beginning Band
    • Theory & More
    • Motivation
    • Recruiting & Retention
    • Band Director Jobs
    • Collaborative Posts
    • Seasonal
  • Resources
    • Beginning Theory
      • Aural Skills
      • Musical Symbols & Terms
      • Note Names
      • Rhythm
    • Books for Band Directors
    • Brass
    • CutTime
    • The Garner Ensemble Project – Rhythmic Ensembles
      • The Garner Ensemble Project – Set 2 (2021)
    • Instrument Overhauls
    • KHS America/Jupiter
    • Method Books
    • Music Stores
    • Percussion
    • Travel – Green Light
    • Woodwind Resources
  • Newsletter
  • Distance Learning
  • Freebies
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Band Directors Talk Shop

There’s a Time and a Place for Every Fingering (Sax – Bb)

9 Feb

 There are a handful of conversations that come up in saxophone lessons with great regularity.  One that I’d like to discuss here is the “Favorite Fingering” talk.  This is where I tell the student, for instance, which B flat fingering to use and they counter with a variation of, “Actually, I prefer the side fingering.  It’s my favorite.”  Almost without exception, the student has developed this affinity because it is the only fingering they have used for several years.  So, even if I can convince the student that I am right, their familiarity with their go-to fingering will all but guarantee that time is wasted.

saxophone fingering

So, how do we fix this problem?  It is my sense that fixing this type of habit after it has formed is an uphill battle.  Like most problems, the most desirable solution is far easier if you prevent the problem from forming in the first place.  The way to prevent students from developing fingering preferences is to teach all the options at the same time.  In this series, I’ll discuss some basic standard and alternate fingerings that I feel should be taught in the beginner classroom.

B Flat

As I explain to all of my students when the topic comes up, when playing B Flat, I use the “Bis” fingering 50% of the time, the side fingering 49.99% of the time, and some variation of 1 and 4 (also known as 1 and 1) on very rare, special occasions.  When deciding which to use, I think about which will involve the least amount of movement.  So, the fewer hands and the fewer fingers moving, the better.

SideBb

Fingering  – Side B Flat
When to use – B Flat has an adjacent B Natural
Which scales to use it for – B & F Sharp Major, Chromatic Scale

Bis Bb

Fingering  – Bis B Flat
When to use – B Flat does not have an adjacent B Natural
Which scales to use it for – F, B Flat, E Flat, A Flat, D Flat Major

Fingering  – 1 and 4
When to use – I recommend not teaching this to beginners
Which scales to use it for – Don’t even think about it

In a beginner class, I teach the side fingering first because I want them to think of this as the standard.  But, after we play our first line in the book using the side fingering, we learn a line that has them use the “Bis” fingering.

Most beginner books introduce the side fingering early on and the Bis fingering much later.  The way to compensate for this is to introduce the F tetrachord (which would call for the Bis fingering) on the same day as you cover the side fingering.  In fact, scales and tetrachords taught properly will prevent this issue altogether.

Here is a link to the website for my book, The Young Saxophonist.  By going to the link and clicking “Side vs. Bis page 13” you can watch a video of me teaching this concept. (scroll down on the page to select the correct option.)
http://www.ntunemusic.com/youngsax.htm

2nd article in this series – F# & C – can be found here.
Coming soon: C sharp, palm D, Front E & F

Dr. Daniel Loudenback is currently Assistant Professor of Woodwinds at The University of Mary in Bismarck, ND.  Before that, he was Fine Arts Director for Ector County ISD in Odessa, TX.  He also taught high school orchestra and middle and high school band in West Texas.  His book, “The Young Saxophonist: A Supplemental Method for Class Instruction” is available through NTune Music and Sound.  Dr. Loudenback is a Yamaha Performing Artist and plays exclusively on Yamaha Saxophones.

www.danielloudenback.com

Woodwind Instrument Resources for Band Directors and Private Lesson Teachers

Related Posts:
Saxophone F# & C – There’s a Time and Place for Every Fingering
11 Tips to Use Today (multiple instruments)
DO Sweat the Small Stuff – Beginning Woodwinds

If you would like to receive our weekly newsletter, sign up here. 
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook too!

Learn. Share. Inspire.
BandDirectorsTalkShop.com

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Filed Under: Saxophone 1 Comment

Previous Post: « Use a Stopwatch, Not a Timer – Practice Tips for the Modern Musician Part 1
Next Post: “The Pre-Contest Syndrome” »

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. 4 Clarinet Hacks - Better Clarinets in 30 Seconds - Band Directors Talk Shop says:
    February 15, 2016 at 7:55 pm

    […] Related Reading: Teaching Clarinets to Roll to A isn’t Enough Motivate Your Band – Reach Higher A Time and Place for Every Fingering (Saxophone) […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Sign up here for our newsletter




SEARCH ANY TOPIC HERE

Categories

About Band Directors Talk Shop

Band Directors Talk Shop is all about helping you be a better band director so your students can be better musicians.  It is a collaborative effort of band directors, former band directors, private lesson teachers and fine arts administrators. Learn.  Posts will strive to teach you something you can use in your classroom today. ... Read More about About Us

let’s connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Featured Articles

10 Great Summer Refreshers Reading & Media List

Preservation Hall Lessons (Free Resource!)

COPYRIGHT © 2025 BAND DIRECTORS TALK SHOP, LLC · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs
saxophone fingering